Guild of Educators

Mentorship Program

We are running a mentorship program for people who teach Python code, and who teach children to code.

Why Python

We've chosen Python as the language to focus on because Python is a great first language to learn, it is very popular in academia and industry, and it is very versatile. That said, if you are not focused on Python there might still be a place for you in this mentorship program. We will do our best to match everyone up with someone who can help.

Teaching young children

If you are teaching children who are too young to learn Python, or want to help people who are teaching kids, please join up.

Who can be a mentor?

If you have software development or teaching skills to share, please join up as a mentor. You can make a big difference!

Software developers wanted!

If you are a Python developer (even a junior Python developer) then you can help. There are many software development and computer studies teachers who would get a lot of benefit from having someone who can answer their technical questions.

Teachers wanted!

If you are an educator and would like to share some teaching skills, then there are many people who would benefit. There are many people who are early in their teaching careers who could use a bit of help!

Who can get a mentor?

The goal of this program is to help teachers and educators level up in a way that will effect their students. If you are an educator, or want to get into education, then you are welcome to sign up and request a mentor.

Please don't request a mentor if your primary goal is to learn some coding skills that you plan to use for something other than teaching. For example, don't sign up if your goal is to learn about marketing APIs for your side-hustle.

We are focusing on supporting teachers because teachers support others.

How will it work?

Here is how things will work:

  1. If you are keen to be a mentor, get a mentor, or both - fill in this form.
  2. We will run an informative Q&A session with you in late August, early September to share all the details of how things will work. There will be a bit of a delay in this because we want to get as many people involved as possible.
  3. You will be asked to re-confirm that you are interested in taking part, and that you understand what you are signing up for
  4. We will then match people up and announce the mentorship pairs. We will aim to match one mentor with one person needing a mentor.
  5. The mentorship program will last 12 weeks (3 months)
  6. Mentors will be given access to a special Discord channel where they can share their experiences
  7. We will have regular online open discussions with the mentors to get feedback and encourage mutual support

During the 12 week mentorship relationship, mentorship pairs will be expected to meet up at least once every 2 weeks for one hour. If you want to meet more often, please go ahead and do that.

Responsibilities of the Mentee (the person getting mentored)

If you sign up to get a mentor, you will have a few responsibilities:

  • Schedule meetings with your mentor
  • Create an agenda for your meetings, and share them with your mentor ahead of time
  • Respect your mentor's time - show up on time and prepared for all sessions

Responsibilities of the Mentor

Do your best to help the person you are mentoring. If you get stuck, need advice, or have something useful to share, please communicate with the Mentor group on Discord (you will be given access to a special channel)

The person you are mentoring will be responsible for organising sessions with you and sharing an agenda with you ahead of time so that you can be prepared for your sessions.

How to sign up

Easy! Fill in this form.

Frequently asked Questions

  • How do I sign up? Fill in this form.
  • How do I join the Guild of Educators? You can join at any time, even if you are not taking part in the mentorship program. Just follow the instructions on the Join us page. Make sure you read the whole page so you don't miss out on anything!
  • Can I be a mentor AND have a mentor at the same time? YES! You can learn from someone, and mentor someone who needs the skills you already have
  • Can I sign up for mentorship even if I am not a teacher? If you want to teach some day then a mentor can help you understand what it takes, you are more than welcome. But if you have no desire to teach then this mentorship program isn't a good fit
  • Will you pay me to take part? Unfortunately, no. We wont be paying anyone
  • Is there a syllabus? No. Different teachers in different circumstances need different things. We aim to remain flexible. We might make some recommendations later on
  • I've never mentored anyone before, will I get support? Yes! We will provide guidance on how to be a good mentor, and how to make good use of mentorship. We will also have support available through Discord, and we will have open discussions from time to time where we can talk through any challenges anyone is facing